Operators of tow trucks are frequently called upon to pick up disabled motorcycles. However, a motorcycle is liable to become damaged while being transported by an ordinary tow truck, because there is no way in which a motorcycle can be safely carried by an ordinary tow truck.
Usually the operator of a tow truck simply attaches the motorcycle to the hoist and allows it to dangle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,321 shows a bar by means of which the hook suspending a motorcycle is held spaced away from the rear end of a tow truck. Even in that case, however, if the driver of a tow truck makes a sudden stop, the dangling motorcycle is liable to swing forward and become scratched or otherwise damaged.